Pages

Sunday, July 09, 2006

When I started making a garden on Federal Twist Road I understood the limits of the site: wet, heavy clay, thick juniper cover, no view, no space, no sky. And deer.

I'm working through these constraints and, I'm sure, if I continued to search out and test deer-proof plants I could eventually develop a satisfying garden. Ornamental grasses are safe. And 18 months of experience tells me two plants - Asclepias incarnata and Rudbeckia maxima - are keepers. I think Verbena hastata and Pycnanthemum muticum will pass the test. But almost everything else I have tried - including several new willows - have been damaged to various degrees.

I'm ready to give up on living with the deer. I want to grow plants deer eat, and I finally realize the compromises are too dear (sorry!).

I've discussed a deer exclusion with Phil, and he agrees. We probably need over 1,000 linear feet of fencing, and it must be as unobtrusive as possible. And affordable. Now to get some estimates.

About Me

When we moved to a mid-century house overlooking the woods in western New Jersey, I knew the garden would have to be naturalistic and informal to suit the style of the house and the place. My new garden on Federal Twist Road is an experiment. I call it a wet prairie, and maintain it like a prairie, with annual cutting and burning. The site would appear to be an inauspicious one for a garden, with heavy wet clay saturated much of the year. I cut down trees to create a clearing in the woods, and planted many native and prairie plants, all carefully selected for suitability to the difficult growing conditions. Many non-natives too, if they liked wet clay. Most of these plants are highly competitive, even aggressive, and I try to match them so they keep each other in control. Then I stand aside, and intervene only when necessary.